Muskoka Cooking Fun – Get on the right path at Wellpath!

I am honoured to be part of the Wellpath Team.  They are a thriving and successful wellness clinic that is based here in Toronto. Their philosophy is rooted in holistic health with naturopathic medicine being at the very core. With prevention as the key and driving force, they are also all about lifestyle. Which of course includes, exercise, nutrition and everyday activity! I met with Richard porter back in February, and there was a plan to open up a location in Northern Ontario in Port Carling. He was immediately keen to ask me to re create my delicious classes in this new facility. I was more than excited to take this on. Who wouldn’t want the opportunity to go up north (especially when you don’t have a cottage!) and teach about eating local, fresh and organic foods? So if I love teaching these classes, then people must love attending them! Which they do. So far we have had two successful classes. The first one was our launch – where we focused on summer fresh recipes. Things that local cottagers and dwellers of Port Carling could easily make throughout the summer. We had a combination of delicious and fresh dishes like collards wraps, wild rice, white bean dip, sauteed garden greens and of course my yummy chocolate avocado pudding recipe for dessert!

Rolling up Zesty Mango Collard Wraps!

Prepping the Citrus Wild Rice

Then in last week’s class our theme was garden fresh Italian. which is always a favourite. Lots of yummy garden greens – from my garden, fresh herbs and other local produce. It was a hit! We made a yummy spelt goat cheese pizza, pesto pasta with white beans, a vegetable tomato sauce and raspberry sorbet for dessert.

Spelt Pizza Crust in the Making!

Raw Raspberry Sorbet with Cacao and Mint

Both classes were a success and I am looking forward to the other ones that are planned for the rest of the summer. New dates for the fall and winter will be posted shortly. We will be taking the fun back here in Toronto as well. Hope you can make it out! If you are interested in participating – please contact the Wellpath Clinic Directly!

Me, Richard and Chelsey!

A Contributing Monkie!

I must say, I am proud to be a contributing monkie on G LIVING. It was only a week a go when I got an email from V – the creative mind behind this incredibly edgy and dark site that features all things green with a  modern twisted appeal. There is enough out there that just taps into what trendy and what’s not in the world of GREEN, but this site is different. It has a different look a different feel – and it is rather addicting! Because you just want to learn more, see more and you feel good after looking at it. So this last week I contributed my first post. I am excited to continue to be part of the “GREEN CHEF Monkies on the site. So please check in and even sign up for updates and other spicy information that is coughed up on a daily basis!

Here is my post in case you missed it!

I have never been one for sushi. I mean the l kind with white rice and raw fish. I won’t go into all the reasons why. To me, a real nori roll is one that is filled with veggies, kept raw and full of colour. It is one of my favourite things to eat. It is so simple to prepare and makes an amazing snack, lunch or dinner. I don’t know about you, but I like things stuffed. I love my food bursting with flavour, colour and texture and there has to be more than one ingredient in my rolls – no matter what. How boring is “kappa maki” – just cucumber alone in that roll? There are an abundance of other amazing veggies that would give anything to be inside a luscious roll of nori goodness.

So the key to raw nori making is to use RAW nori sheets. It doesn’t work if you buy the toasted kind. So make sure to buy it raw. Then for the filling, you can go crazy with anything from sprouted quinoa, to chopped jicama (an incredible root veggie from Mexico), to shredded cauliflower. But I went on a totally new tangent. I soaked and sprouted some sunflower seeds and almonds– which are loaded with healthy fats and nutty texture.  Then I blended them into my version of a mock tuna salad. I threw in some fresh herbs from my garden like dill, oregano and sage, added some dulse (a sea veggie – to give it that true vegan “sea” taste) and other condiments to just make it burst with unique flavour.

Once you spread that on your raw nori sheet, you are good to go and add loads of veggies. I would start with carrots, beets, cucumber, wild lettuce, mango sprouts, avocado. This is a pretty good start and will fill your rolls rather nicely. I promise you will be pleasantly surprised how delicious and filling these are. Take them to your next party or just enjoy them on your own – they don’t even need to be dipped!

SUN SEED NORI ROLLS

What’s in it?

4-6 sheets of raw nori

1 carrot shredded

2 small beets, shredded

½ cucumber, cut into slices

1 avocado, sliced

Handful of sprouts (mung, sunflower or pea shoots)

The seed spread

1 cup sunflower seeds soaked 10-12 hours

1 cup almonds soaked 10-12 hours

1-2 tablespoons fresh dill

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon tamari

1 teaspoon fresh ginger

1 tablespoon kelp or dulse granules

½ teaspoon sea salt

Place all the spread ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and blend until uniform. You can leave it chunky or smooth it out by adding a touch of water or blending for longer.

How you Roll it!

1. First you lay one nori sheet flat on a surface.
2. Spread about ¼ cup of seed spread on the nori sheet (you can fill it in to the edges if you want)
3. Place your veggies down in a relatively thin row horizontally towards the bottom of the sheet
4. Begin to roll- Lift the bottom edge closest to you, wrap over all the veggies, holding tight, continue to roll it all the way up – seal it with some water or extra seed spread
5. Cut the rolls – start in the center of the roll and then keep cutting down the center of each half until you have 6-8 pieces.

Freshly Picked and Made with Love!

Part 1 -

If you haven’t been raspberry picking yet this summer you should go before it is too late! These little red gems are so good when they are freshly picked. They are small, tart and juicy – and beaming with red hot love!

Last Saturday – my friend Jaime and I went to an Organic raspberry farm about a half hour north of Toronto (so worth the short drive). A cute cozy plot of land filled with lines of raspberry bushes.  At first we both opted for the largest basket, but didn’t realize how much work it actually is to pick raspberries. Also when they are this small, it takes that much longer to fill up a box. So by the end of the first line, we decided to combine our efforts and just have one basket between the two of use. This would bare more than enough fruit for our soon to be made – Raspberry Tart!

It was a hot one, so we didn’t last too long before we were anxious to get home and start baking. When raspberries are so super tart (in taste) like these ones, they are especially good when paired with something sweet. So the attempt was a fresh raspberry tart with a sweet almond crust. We stewed the raspberries with some Kuzu and Agar-Agar – (my two favourite sea-veggie based thickeners) to make the raspberries hold together in a jello-like consistency. I love using this stuff! Then instead of putting the raspberry blend on the tart crust, we put the raspberries in a bowl and crumbled the crust on top. Since baking likes to do it’s own thing sometimes, the crust didn’t turn out as planned. It was supposed to be on the bottom of our tart, but since it stuck to the glass (which isn’t supposed to happen – even though there was enough coconut oil on it)  – we scraped it out and used it as a crumble instead. Either way it was going down the same “pie-hole” – so to speak, and it all tasted the same – DELICIOUS. We weren’t trying to impress anyone but ourselves, so the actual look of it didn’t really matter. What mattered is that it tasted delicious and we have fun making it. So the moral of the story, is get out there, go pick some raspberries and put them in a smoothie, granola, a pie or raw pie, on cereal, fruit salad or just eat them straight from the bowl! Raspberries are not only beautiful and glorious to eat in the summer but they are full of antioxidants, fiber – and of course lots of love!

Jaime – stewing up those Raspberries!

Our gorgeous up-side-down Pie!

Two ladies in the bush – I promise, I am not naked!

Part 2-

I had so many leftover raspberries, I  made a Raw Berry Pie – as a second attempt. I have strawberries growing in my backyard, just bought some fresh blueberries, and picked some fresh mulberries from a friends tree (right here in Toronto!). So I was inspired not to cook these berries up- but instead – blend them up in my blender – with some fresh peaches for thickness – then I made an almond coconut raisin crust, poured my berry blend on top – and let it freeze. What a nice treat!

These are the tastiest, sweetest berries!

It was a treat to have fresh Mulberries, as I have only ever had dried ones! They are also the most beautiful shade of purple!

Here is my Raw Berry Pie!

So there you have it. Two ways to use up your berries this summer. Both Vegan, both gluten free and both delicious! Enjoy!

Fresh Berry Tart with Almond Crust (Cooked)

1 cup almonds

¾ cup brown rice flour

2 Tablespoons maple crystals

¼ teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of sea salt

3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

¼ cup maple syrup

Filling:

2 tablespoons agar flakes (to gel it together)*

1 ¾ cup apple juice

2 tablespoons kuzu dissolved in ¼ cup apple juice (to make it like pudding)*

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Sea salt

4 cups raspberries, rinsed and drained

Preheat oven to 350. Oil a 9” tart pan.

For the Crust:

1. In food processor, grind nuts to a meal. In mixing bowl, combine nuts, flour, maple crystals, baking powder and salt.
2. In separate small bowl, whisk together oil and maple syrup.
3. Mix wet ingredients (oil and syrup) into dry ingredients (nut meal and flours).
4. Press crust mixture into tart pan. Refrigerate 15-20 minutes, and then bake 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely.

For the filling

1. In a small pot, simmer agar flakes in apple juice until agar completely dissolves. When agar dissolves, add kuzu/juice mixture. Whisk until mixture thickens. Add maple syrup.
2. Add pinch of salt and berries. Cook 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and let mixture cool partially. Pour into cooled crust pan.
3. let set completely. Garnish with mint before serving. There may be a small amount of filling left, you can enjoy as a pudding by blending in food processor.

**Kuzu and Agar can be found at your local health food store in the Asian or macrobiotic section. There are tons of resources online to help you use them.

But two quick tips, dissolve and heat!

Raw Berry Tart with Almond Coconut Crust

For the crust:

2 cup almonds, soaked

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup raisins

- blend in food processor until you have a uniform “dough”

- press out in a tart dish evenly all over and up the sides (there should be enough)

For the filling

2 cups fresh berries

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 fresh peaches

- blend in a high speed blender until thick and creamy

- pour the blended berries into the raw pie crust and decorate ad you would like

- place in freezer for several hours, serve and enjoy!

Refreshing Strawberry Facial Sensation!

My garden is bursting with strawberries. Which is amazing, so I have had to come up with some creative ways to use them up.  Especially the ones that are a bit mushy. It’s funny, often people don’t realize that food makes the best cleansing, nourishing and replenishing tonics for the body and face. I have always known this, I just sometimes don’t practice it as often as I should. That being said, all of the products that I do buy are 100% natural and organic made with food grade essential oils and other carriers like almond oil, shea butter, coconut oil etc…

But it doesn’t get much better than making your own concoctions from scratch. There are many online resources and natural books that can guide you with recipes and ideas. But sometimes if you just think logically- the foods with the most nutrients, colour and vitamins are the best ones to put directly on your body!

So as I said, I have strawberries coming out of my ears (not to brag or anything) but I am putting them to good use. Last night I took a huge handful of them, mashed them up, added in some healing Manuka Honey and smothered it onto my face. I turned red, but I could feel the sweet red juice penetrating my skin and nourishing every cell. It felt so good! If you have every applied Manuka Honey topically, (stickiness aside) I am sure you know the feeling! After about a half hour, I rinsed it off, and my skin was smoothly, supple and nurtured. I loved it!

There is something particularly magical about strawberries when it comes to a facial mask. It is not only loaded with Vitamin C which helps to repair skin damage, a make collagen and since vitamin C is an antioxidant it also helps to protect the skin from free radicals. The alpha hydroxy acid in strawberries help to slough off dead skin cells – which instantly reveals smoother skin. I assure you, you must try this!

Scrumptious Strawberry Mask

1/2 cup fresh strawberries, mashed

1 tbsp Manuka Honey

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and apply directly onto face. Chunks and all!

—To make this mask into an EXFOLIATION SCRUB -  add 2 tbsp almond meal (left over from making almond milk) -

I kind of look like and Umpa-Loopa – but who cares, it works!

Question: Have you ever made a home-made food based mask?

A Veggie-Q for my QT!

Being a vegetarian does not mean that you can’t enjoy summer parties, potlucks and BBQ’s. You just need to get a little creative and have fun with it. So this past weekend was my fiances birthday. He  wanted a low key night, a dinner in with some family and close friends. Of course what this means, is that I am making dinner! Which is no problem of course, I  love providing delicious goodies, especially things that everyone can enjoy! Not everyone who was coming was a vegetarian, but that didn’t matter, my mom took care of some chicken for the group, and I handled the rest!

Make sure that when you are in this situation, you find out what all your hunny’s favourites are – and go from there (hopefully you know them already!). Luckily everything that Ryan loves, are things that everyone could enjoy – and they also make great compliments to the main meal.

So we started off with some yummy appetizers,  There was a  home made guacamole, parsley-hummus, along with an organic store bought salsa – lots of spelt flatbread and organic corn chips for dipping. Then we had a selection of side dishes – Ryan’s favourites include (quinoa tabule,  pasta salad, yam fries and “caesar” salad) and the main meal for us was Organic Sunshine Burgers (which  are truly scrumptious) simple ingredients and are so easy to enjoy at a summer-Q with or without a bun!

Of course the night was topped of with Ryan’s all time favourite – a tender Chocolate Cake – made from spelt flour (all vegan and sweetened with maple syrup) crowned by an almond butter, cocoa icing – this is his number one request on a annual (or more like weekly) basis! So I paired this with coconut-mint (from my garden) cacao ice cream (the colour green in the ice cream is actually from Ormus Super Greens). No one even questioned why the ice cream was so bright green! I may even post this recipe too since it was soooo fantastic!

So there you have it, an amazing, wholesome meal that everyone can enjoy – lots of variety, flavour and texture. You want to keep your crowd happy, but most importantly you want to make your CUTIE smile on his birthday!

If you are in need of some delicious summer recipes – there are still a few spots open in this weeks SENSATIONAL SUMMER RECIPES CLASS on Wednesday night!

The Dips – post enjoyment!

I meant to take this picture before they were all devoured!

Quinoa Tabule – a perfect summer recipe!

Brown Rice Pasta Salad with Garden Snow Peas!

My Delicious Plate of Goodness!

Vegan Caesar on left and Sunshine Burger on right- under the guac and hummus

My Award- Winning Vegan Chocolate Cake!

Vegan – Mint Cacao Coconut Ice Cream

Chocolate Cake with Mint-Cacao Ice Cream

Me and my QT (Ryan)

Mint-Cacao Coconut Ice Cream

2 cans of organic coconut milk

1/4 cup vanilla rice milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp fresh stevia leaves (only the fresh leaves or else leave it out!)

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves (or you can use a few drops of peppermint oil)

1-2 tbsp Ormus Super Greens (it has a minty flavour)

1/4 cup cacao nibs

Place all the ingredients except the cacao nibs in a blender and blend until smooth, creamy, and green.

If you have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture in and begin to churn, adding the cacao nibs after a few minutes.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in a large bowl for about an hour, then remove and stir in cacao (so they don’t all sink to the bottom).

Then continue to freeze for another hour or two (depending on the consistency you like).

ENJOY!!

If you are in need of some delicious summer recipes – there are still a few spots open in this weeks SENSATIONAL SUMMER RECIPES CLASS on Wednesday night!

Please share what veggie dishes you like to make in the summer for special events and occasions!

Next Page »